A number of existing and emerging EU policies and initiatives to green plastics, packaging, fuels and more through plant-based sources are at risk of backfiring with big social and environmental impacts, according to this new report.

Substituting fossil-based products for plant-based ones is the core idea of the 'bioeconomy', which is promoted in the EU through renewable energy policies and a specific Bioeconomy Strategy, and is likely to be included in future legislation on plastics and packaging.

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There is no doubt that eliminating hunger worldwide is one of humanity’s greatest challenges in the 21st century. However, there are radically divergent visions for how to achieve this goal. Many people equate “feeding the world” with the need to produce more food, but in reality the problem is one of unequal and wasteful distribution.

This short briefing spells out why the cheapest, cleanest, safest energy is the energy we don't actually need. Every 1% improvement in energy efficiency means savings equivalent to 12 million cars. There are also significant savings and reduced energy use.